Flying glory for UAE falcons

Fazza Falconry Championship The qualification rounds of Fazza Falconry Championship concluded on December 26 and 10 contestants qualified for the final. A piece of the UAE's sporting heritage comes to fore every year at the Fazza Falconry Championship, with some of the finest falcons in the country on show competing for prizes. The competition sees falcon owners stand a short distance away from their falcons and call them to their side. The bird that covers the distance in the shortest amount of time, as it races to catch its prey, goes on to the next round of races in a sudden death knock-out.
"Falconry is regarded as one of the oldest and most noble sports in the world and it contributes to preserving our heritage. For long years, we have strived to improve the competitions, the registration system and the check-up of the participating falcon breed,” said organising committee head, Dumaithan bin Swaidan.
The qualification rounds concluded on December 26 and 10 contestants qualified for the final championship. "This year we have kicked off early with the championships, just to ensure that winds will not stop any of the falcons from reaching the prey at the finish line,” bin Swaidan said.
Falconry is a big part of Arabian culture, and since the launch of the championship by Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Centre, it has attracted huge numbers of fans, leading to more competitions and larger prizes for winners, making it one of the most popular heritage-based sports in the region.
Souad Darwish, managing director of the championship, said: "From day one, the championships witnessed a strong competition and we expect it to get stronger and attract more sports and falcon lovers. We worked for years to ensure the success of every championship, from speed measurement, timekeeping and scoring perspectives to the smallest technical details. All this comes within realising our vision of preserving and enhancing our culture at Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Centre and passing it on to the next generation.”
Source: Khaleej Times